15 years ago
Thursday, May 28, 2009
John 14 - LET not your heart be troubled - Peshitta version - mouseover NASB
John 14:1 LET not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in me also. John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to me, so that where I am you may be also. John 14:4 You know where I am going and you know the way. John 14:5 Thomas said to him, Our Lord, we do not know where you are going; and how can we know the way? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life; no man comes to my Father except by me. John 14:7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; from henceforth you know him and you have seen him. John 14:8 Philip said to him, Our Lord, show us the Father, and that is enough for us. John 14:9 Jesus said to him, All this time I have been with you, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who sees me has seen the Father; and how do you say, Show us the Father? John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am with my Father and my Father is with me? The words that I speak, I do not speak of myself; but my Father who abides with me does these works. John 14:11 Believe that I am with my Father and my Father is with me; and if not, believe because of the works. John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in me shall do the works which I do; and even greater than these things he shall do, because I am going to my Father. John 14:13 And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it for you, so that the Father may be glorified through his Son. John 14:14 If you ask me in my own name, I will do it. John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:16 And I will ask of my Father, and he will give you another Comforter, to be with you for ever, John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it has not seen him and does not know him; but you know him because he abides with you and is in you. John 14:18 I will not leave you bereaved, for I will come to you after a little while. John 14:19 And the world will not see me, but you will see me; because I live, you shall live also. John 14:20 In that day you will know that I am with my Father, and you are with me, and I am with you. John 14:21 He who has my commandments with him and obeys them is the one who loves me; he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him. John 14:22 Judah (not of Iscariot) said to him, My Lord, why is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world? John 14:23 Jesus answered, saying to him, He who loves me keeps my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make a place of abode with him. John 14:24 But he who does not love me does not keep my word; and this word which you hear is not my own but the Father’s who sent me. John 14:25 I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. John 14:26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of everything which I tell you. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my own peace I give you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:28 You heard that I told you, I am going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice because I am going to my Father; for my Father is greater than I. John 14:29 And now behold, I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe. John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of this world comes; and yet he has nothing against me. John 14:31 But that the world may know that I love my Father, and as my Father has commanded me, so I do. Arise, let us go away from here.
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Hi everyone
Just for Email..
Maranatha!!!
Mike
Anyone else have the feeling that something big is about to happen? Had it all day, no fear, just that feeling...
I think passover starts tommorow sunset or is it today at sunset?
Maranatha!!
Mike
Mike,
Today at sunset, I believe.
I've had the "change is in the air," sense for several monthes now. What? I really and truly don't have a clue! But something. Yes, something is about to happen.
What's that song;
"Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand,
But I know who holds the future,
And I know who holds my hand."
That's good enough for me :)Knowing God is the most important thing!
Maybe today? (we'll see Jesus face to face)
God bless everyone!
Love,
Marge
Hi friends,
I'm home again, just 24 hours after surgery and doing very well, praise God! Surgery went fine and I'm just a little groggy/sore when I swallow. I'll get more details at my follow-up appt. in 8-10 days, but the surgeon only took half my thyroid so I take that as a good sign that the whole thing wasn't concerning enough to remove.
My mom had thyroid surgery in 1976 and she was under sedation for 24 hours, then in the hospital for 5 more days after that. Plus the incision went collarbone to collarbone (mine is about 3 inches wide.) What an amazing time we live in, medically speaking. Another reason to praise God and be thankful for all those who went before!
The kids are having a blast at the in-laws, too, so I'll just be resting til Sunday when they whirl back in!
Thank you each for your prayers and for standing with me on the promises we have in Jesus. I felt so peaceful the entire time, even when I was being wheeled into the OR...not a single butterfly in my stomach!
I'll post again soon and hopefully I can jump back into the discussions that are going on. I always have something to share, but haven't had time to sit down and compose my thoughts lately.
Love to all,
Jen
Glad to have you back Jen!!! Was hoping we'd hear from you today!
We were never in doubt that the Lord our God would see you through this.
Rest up, I'm sure the kids have been storing up all there energy for you.
Happy Shavuot/Pentecost to all!!!
Maranatha
Mike
Mike,
Amen, again :)
Jen,
Praise God, for He is SO GOOD!!!
Relax/ rest, and do the things that Jen wants to do until Sunday :)
I was also looking for you today, LOL! So great to hear from you!
God bless all,
Love,
Marge
Jen
So glad you are doing well~as we knew you would!
Love,
Laura
I forgot to mention the results of my pregnancy tests....
They were negative, although the drs. weren't convinced up until the last minute and ordered a third test just before I was wheeled into surgery!
Laura told me that her sister had thyroid surgery while pregnant and we have a cousin who had an emergency appendectomy when she was in her second trimester, so I was comforted in knowing about those situations and how God doesn't let a little thing like operations get in the way of blessing us ;-)
Agree with you Mike - the 6th June also seems to be very important.
Come quickly Lord Jesus!!
John
(Initially, was just for email...)
Our church is starting a New Believers Bible School every Sunday 9:00am, open to anyone who wants to come. The course runs for 13 weeks and covers all the basics, from getting saved to being filled with Holy Spirit to learning to walk by faith, pray and grow in the Lord. We know this is in preparation for the Great Awakening. We will run the course as often as necessary (I think that means all the time!)
We have had 3 new believers in the last 2 months - the last literally walked in off the street, after getting saved whilst watching the Copeland's ministry on TV! Since then she has brought both her older and younger sister... we expect more, many more...
John
Well praise the Lord! And everyone shouted "Amen and Hallelujah!". I have been having puter problems again and I had hoped all of that was past. However, prayer, laying on of my hands in the power of the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit working in and through me, I think the blessed baby is healed, delivered and set free from the attacks by the enemy. My friend traded even up for my former "hunker" puter that I had for business matters and out of it I got his Sony All-In-One with a 21 inch monitor/CPU/ALL OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES and it is so pretty. It will be in my private bedroom instead of the kitchen and all I am going to put on it is my Bible materials and Christian blogs/web sites. Not going to worry about adding anything else and it has a built in web cam and I think it has a Blu-Ray DVDR also. I am not really that interested in the DVDR subject just yet but I couldn't believe the trade. Was tempted to set it up in DJH office but it is too much for his tastes. He has my favorite Sony Desktop computer and except for the RAM memory limit of 512 mb it is a jewel.
Yes, I love computers and feel right at home with them. The only thing I had to get used to from the days of the IBM 5120'S, with the big round disks you ran the programs with was the language. With a PC the language isn't any of my business and I like that now but at first, it was a real pain.
JEN, I am so happy to hear the good reports from your surgery. I had read you comments on the previous posting that you were going to have it done and then Marge sent me an email to remind me of it. In fact, that was the last email I have been able to read due to the previous stated puter situation.
Mike, I know what you mean about the hair on my head, arms, toes, and chin standing straight up. I have had this same sensation for over a year now and it is intensifying right along with all of the world's groaning and shaking. In fact, this last trip for BOO will have ramifications that only the WORLD will pay for. I think that tonight at midnight (Israel is 8 hours ahead of us and it is 5:29 A.M. SUNDAY in the Garden Tomb and in the upper room. The Day of Pentecost is now upon the land of Israel and God is still on the throne with His Son, Jesus Christ seated at His right hand. How long he will be seated is a matter of seconds, minutes, hours, days or months but you can be assured of one thing, it will happen as God Almighty directs it to. Never the less, Come Lord Jesus, Quickly!
Grany
Grany,
Good to hear from you!
And yes, Pentecost Sunday is almost upon us, here in America, too.
"These are the days of Elijah,...prepare ye the way of the Lord."
God bless!
Love,
Marge
By the way, my last reading in Scripture was the book of Jude, so I'm getting ready to start Revelation. Haven't done any reading in that book since receiving the fullness of the Spirit last year. Any recommendations for study materials that would be good to read alongside it? I'm a bit intimidated, to be honest, but hungry at the same time!
Thanks!
FSGTB,
Jen
Jen,
The most accurate book I've read thus far, from/about the book of Revelation is by Dr. Hilton Sutton. It's entitled; God's Master Performance. It's a verse by verse study of God's Grand Finale, the book of Revelation-Mysteries revealed. The message of the book of Revelation isn't one of doom and gloom, but rather of hope as we await the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's plenty of good studies out there, from the book of Revelation. What about someone else's input?
God bless,
Love,
Marge
This is the day that the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!
The "will" has a lot of power, in staying near the heart of God.
Let's check our "wills" today :)
Love in Jesus, our Savior and Lord,
Marge
Ok, even I had a strange dream Sunday morning. This has defiantly stuck with me as well, and I normally do not ever remember my dreams.
In the dream it was 10:33 (central) in the morning and I was awakened by I don't know what, just a strong urging to get up? (and no not the strong urge that normally wakes me!). I came out of the right side of my house where no room exists (the right side really holds two bedrooms and a bath for the kids, however where the bathroom should be there was a very long hall way - so long that I couldn't see its end for the darkness). I was very groggy like waking up after far too little sleep, though I don't believe I have ever slept to 10:30 in the morning. There was very little light, not like dawn or dusk, it was as thou the biggest blackest thunder storm you'd ever see was right outside (but without rain or wind), but still some light from the outside (no lights on inside the house), as I looked out the backyard's window I thought how strange that I didn't know of a storm this size coming. There was a laptop sitting in a corner of our dining room on a table (neither of which exists) and so I sat down to check weather radar, as I tried to connect to weather radar, all the computer gave was screen after screen of news pages so fast I couldn't discern any of them, like it was searching for a single page among millions (I was impressed with the computers speed as it only took seconds), then it locked on a single page, before I could look down at the page, I looked back toward our living room and saw what must have been 20-30 people (my wife and children were not among them only adults none of which I knew - except actor Ernie Hudson? ) all staring at me with a deep concern in their eyes and while not saying anything, giving me the impression that we had to get out of the house, I knew that was not the right course of action and then it seemed to get darker, then I woke up. drat!!
Maranatha soon!!!
Mike
Hi Marge,
Thanks for the recommendation. I visited Dr. Sutton's site awhile back and he had such interesting views on what the endtimes were going to look like. Very different from alot of the usual predictions, but I can't say that anything stuck out as a red flag, either. I'll have to look for his work on Rev.
I have a prayer request...
My uncle Herb died last week after a brief battle with lymphoma. He was diagnosed in Feb, already at stage 4. He and my aunt divorced in the early 90s so I hadn't seen him except maybe 2-3 times since then at weddings, etc. but his 3 children and their families are devastated. 2 of the 3 children (my cousins Kristi and Tara) aren't walking with the Lord and their spouses aren't either. Kristi's husband, Paul, is an ardent atheist/evolutionist and he has dragged his family and many of the others into his way of thinking over the years. (My aunt/uncle attended church when the kids were young, but some silly dispute caused them to stop and they never began again, so the kids didn't have much in the way of spiritual training.) I've been praying for and believing for their salvation now for awhile and that continues with the added prayers for comfort and peace as well.
Kristi emailed me tonight to tell me that she just had a thyroid growth diagnosed and is in the early stages of having it investigated. She heard from my aunt about my surgery, etc. and was hoping to get more info about what I was experiencing. I shared lots with her and also let her know that she was being held up in prayer during this difficult time. So I thought I'd ask for others to join me as well on her behalf. Thanks in advance!
Mike, I had a dream over a year ago which has stayed with me very clearly. Ironically, it's about this same branch of the family...my 3 cousins and their spouses/children. I recall that the entire dream was in shades of gray, like the colors seen after 9/11 when people were running down the streets in NY in the ash. I was on the outside of houses looking in and I could see people gathering in rooms, confused and fearful, trying to figure out what was happening. I was moving swiftly, not flying, but not walking either. I came to a house where my cousins/families were gathered and I could see all of them inside, frantically trying to understand what had happened outside (I don't know what had happened, but something of great consequence had taken place as everything was deserted and colorless.) I remember waking up thinking that I had dreamed about the rapture and being very sad that these cousins were left behind and thinking how very sad it was to see how people were going to be so scared and confused. But then again I'm not sure it was a rapture scene because my cousin Rich was there and I believe that he is saved, plus all the small children were with their parents. The dream made such an impact, though, that I began to study Scripture on the topic of children being taken in the rapture (or not)...you can find both opinions out there, along with a variety of versions on the topic. The witness I have in my spirit is that children will be taken so I now don't think it was a rapture dream. But it's still vivid in my mind to this day. Interesting all these dreams we're having. I'm sure at some point they'll all make sense.
FSGTB,
Jen
Jen,
I will agree with you in prayer, about Kristi, and the rest of your family for total salvation. (zoe/includes healing/deliverance)
Also lets pray Matt. 9:38 over them, for believers to come into each of their lives, and be a witness to them.
"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest." Amen.
A few keys from Dr. Sutton's book, God's Master Performance, the book of Revelation Revealed are:
1. The central theme of Revelation is the revealing of Jesus Christ
2. Jesus' servants are to understand this book
3. The stories and events in heaven and on earth during the Tribulation Period are woven around the central theme of Jesus
4. The informational chapters provide more details about the stories in heaven and earth
5. The events in Revelation occur in the past, present and future.
A little more about key 4-Informational Chapters:
"The informational chapters are 7, 10-15, 17 and 18. Chapters 20, 21 and 22 describe the events occuring after the seven year period: the thousand-year reign of Christ, the new heavens, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem. Although they share information of the glorious future, they do not fit the category of informational chapters."
An interesting side note, (I have the VHS teaching as well) is that the Holy Spirit took Dr. Sutton aside many years ago, and told him to get a notebook out, because He was going to give him (Dr. Sutton) the outline of Revelation, and to go and teach it. Thru out the years, Hilton Sutton has stayed true to this outline. Also, (which I can appreciate a bunch :) Dr. Sutton refuses to speculate. And if he gives his opinion, he will tell you, that it's just his opinion. (in the book, it's all Bible, no side trips, etc. :) At any rate, I thought I'd go into more detail this morning, as I feel that this teaching is Holy Spirit inspired. (the Bible basics, not necessarily all of his "side thoughts," or opinions)
I hope this helps, and whatever you decide to do, have a great time reading/studying the book of Revelation!
Wishing everyone a great day in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Love,
Marge
A side note :)
I saw this on Daystar's Celebration program, yesterday, in passing.
A great new book, and it's described on the website:
www.uncompromisedfaith.com
Grany,
Your comments were dead on in the cave. Any I'm with you.
I finally got my Web cam working where do we connect to?
Maranatha..
Mike
Hi friends,
I just spoke with the endocrine doctor (haven't even talked with my mom who is downstairs yet) and the biopsy news came back as positive for thyroid cancer. About a 1/2 inch was discovered in the left lobe and trace amounts in the right side.
So my first praise is that I am recovering well and that the surgery was available to get the bad stuff out and diagnosed.
The other bit of news I got is that it's papillary cell cancer, the most common and most treatable. So that's another praise report!
I'll have a fuller meeting with the doctor in the next few days to discuss the next step which involves supressing my gland so radioactive treatment can be done and then I'll begin the stretch of follow-ups to see if all the cancer was caught and no more is being produced. My thyroid will be destoyed in the process, but I'll take replacement meds to provide what's needed.
I'm amazingly calm and peaceful right now and can only attribute that to all the prayers being sent up from all corners of the globe.
Please continue them and I'll be in touch with more details as I have them.
Feels So Good To Believe!
Jen
Mike,
I couldn't agree with you more! Grany is right on, for sure!
Jen,
It DOES feel good to believe God, doesn't it?
And right now, I come against that thyroid cancer, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and I curse it, and command it to dry up at the roots!
By Christ's stripes you were (and are) healed, Jen. We all are, when we dare to walk in faith, and believe God, and His promises. When we speak forth the Word of God, all of Heaven stands behind the Word to back it up. That's how to activate God's Heavenly angels. Speak the Word, in and out of season. And it WILL work for you,...when you work it. As Kenneth E. Hagin always used to say; "the promises of God aren't going to fall on a person, like ripe cherries off a cherry tree." This is time to be proactive in your Faith in God, and in His Word. Remember, Jesus is the living Word of God, Jen.
Don't allow your family to get you into any dis-stress, either. There are many dis-believing believers :(
God loves them greatly, but they need to get into the Word and have their minds renewed. Stay in the Word of God. Take it as one would take their medications. Because the Word IS supernatural medicine.
May you experience God's great love and His wonderful Shalom in the days ahead. And may your days be blessed, and may you be a blessing to many others, as well.
Remember to tell satan that he's a liar, and the father of all lies, when his evil spirits whisper in your ear. Tell them where to go, in Jesus name. And they must obey you, because of the Greater One. The Greater One lives and abides in you!
Go with God, and He will always go with you!
You're close to my heart, Jen. Keep us in the loop, okay?
Love,
Marge
Thank you, Marge.
Your fighting words are precious to me and I know you care for me deeply. And above that, I know that God's word is most precious and the fight He's going to put up on my behalf will be something to see, won't it? He cares for me deeply, too, and made sure every provision I need to live the life He intends for me to lead was put into place through the blood of His own dear Son. If you will do that for someone before they're born, before they turn to you with a repentant heart, then you surely must love them and that's why I know He is love and that will be enough!
I've had a good day, spent time flea-market shopping with my mom and planned how to trellis the pole beans that will be growing later this summer. Thought about the colors I want to paint the bedroom and am getting the kids ready for their 4-year old portraits. I made my follow-up appointments but didn't dwell on them. I'm much more excited about an idea I had this morning that will be an outreach to my neighbors, to connect us better and to join us in prayer for our families and our community. I'm going to wait on the Lord to see if it's His idea (I have dozens of "good ideas" in my head at all times, but this one seems special.) If He gives me the green-light nudge, then I'm hoping to start working on setting it up over the summer. We'll see where He leads on that one.
OK - the kids need my attention so I'll close for now. I will definitely keep everyone in the loop. My 2 follow-ups are next Wed. so I should have lots more info after then.
FSGTB!
Jen
Jen, and all,
"Keep on believing,
God will answer prayer,
Keep on believing,
Never despair,
Though you be heavy laden,
And burdened down with care,
Remember God still loves you,
And He answers prayer."
Some great song lyrics to meditate on today.
God bless!
Love,
Marge
I need your prayers too! Having computer problems and it seems my mental ability to handle all of the 16 ring circus is getting very hostile. I just need more of the Holy Ghost and a whole lot less of "situations that need solving".
My prayers are with Jen for her healing, Marge for the "heat wave they are having" and for each and everyone of you to have joy unspeakable and full of glory, peace that passes all understanding and a wonderful weekend.
Grany
P.S. I haven't read the comments here yet as I am not sure my computer is going to hold up much longer. The IT said it thought it was the Motherboard and the way I feel right now, it is the mother of all things going wrong with great delight
Grany,
Praise God the heat wave is over in western WA.! Amen! Two days of record breaking heat. Yikes! Today it's a lovely 70 degrees :) Yes!
Thanks for praying!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
Hi friends,
Having a rough 2 days....seem to have pinched a nerve or messed up my neck somehow. Lots of pain and can't find a comfortable way to rest...been in bed since yesterday. Bob is covering today, but tomorrow will be interesting when he goes to work. I'm off to read the Bible and rest in Him. Believing this, too, will be dealt with quickly so I can get back on my feet pronto.
FSGTB,
Jen
Jen,
Agreeing with you in prayer, that you recover completely, and are back on your feet soon.
News alert on Pastor Wolfson's 97 year old, Jewish Orthodox father, David Michael Wolfson.
He should be dead by now, (Doctors aren't always right :) and we're still believing for his salvation.
Also I watched a PBS special on Peter, Paul and Mary last night. No matter what you think about their political views, this group has had a huge impact on America.
Also requesting prayer for Mary's health. I don't know about any of their views about God/salvation. However, I sense they all need prayer, in some manner, or another. And yes, I loved Folk Music! The Kingston Trio, (especailly, Tom Dooley) and the works. What can I say? I'm a child of the 60's :) People need the Lord, no matter what, amen? Amen!
Keep the Faith, and God bless!
Love,
Marge
Sharing 101:
This Sunday's message, was:
Do What You Say.
It was excellent, needless to say.
To quote a few lines.
Religious people know how to say the right things without doing a thing. BE OBEDIENT!
My notes:
Do your deeds and doctrine line up?
Do your words and lifestyle agree?
Own your actions.
Message was based on:
Matt. 23:3, Isaiah 29:13, and Deut. 10:16
Pastor Bill Wolfson
Church For All Nations
Tacoma, WA.
I didn't make it to church because of the neck pain (drat) but I had a good word to share, too, from the book I'm reading "Living Water" by Brother Yun, a Chinese pastor who is very familiar with the persecuted church in China.
He says:
"If men can do God's work in their own strength, then it is not God's work at all. The Lord Jesus calls people who realize they cannot function at all apart from His grace and empowerment. Such an attitude results in complete dependence on God and this is good in His sight. If we can accomplish tasks without God, then He will not get the glory. People will look at what we have done and give us the credit. But if we do something that is completely impossible apart from God's supernatural intervention, people have no choice but to give glory to God."
Makes me think of how much "stuff" I have done or am planning to do for God that really isn't about Him. Goes along, Marge, with the Joseph Prince devo you sent on using the power within us to do great things that only can be attributed to God.
OK - off to bed. Praising God for a better day today and an even better one tomorrow!
FSGTB :-)
Jen
Jen, keeping you in Prayer, please let us know what the doc says, though by now Jesus Christ has already told the cells to shrivel up and die!! so I don't know what your doc plans to do? Is your neck feeling any better? Chiropractor fixed mine, I had to turn my whole body if I wanted to turn my head.
Wilma, shoot me an email and let me know how I can help. You can call me at my office and I'll see can talk you thru the computer issues. BTW I have stacks of keyboards here so let me know what kind you need and I'll put one in the mail.
Seems like I can hear the footsteps of our Lord and the news seems to confirm a lot of what we've discussed before. UFO disclosure always seemed to me to be a great explanation of the rapture to the masses.
BTW Jack Kelly’s article was great!
I can't wait till my feet no longer touch the ground!!!!
Please come soon Lord Jesus!!
I pray always that we may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36 paraphrased)
Thanks, Mike!
Yes, I can just see Jesus giving those cancer cells the stink eye, can't you? Or maybe the flaming sword of His Word!
Just in the last 2 days I've had a former colleague email me to tell me about her bout with thyroid cancer in 07 and a dear friend here who is a Spirit-filled believer emailed to tell me that her sister in Mass. is also a thyroid cancer conqueror. I'm keeping Millie and Liz in my prayers now as they still go through periodic tests to check for any reoccurrence. But according to Nahum 1:7,9b, there should be no reprisal.
"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.... He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time." That's where I'll be planting my feet in a few weeks, too. What a glorious promise we have for restored health!
The last few days I've been emailing friends and family with the news, but keeping my approach tempered with joy and thanksgiving. Don't even like to say "I have".....I'm telling others that a cancerous growth has been removed or found in the tissue that was removed. My blog post is one of praise, too, and I know lots of people will be keeping track of my journey there, so it's a great way to witness and share Jesus.
In fact, (this might sound a bit strange), but I've only come close to tears once and that was when I was talking with God about this 'detour'. Crazy as it may sound, I feel so free now in many ways, because I have no fear about sharing my faith with others as I tell them about my present battle. I just started thanking Him for allowing me to be utterly free from the worries that usually go along with telling others about your faith. I've struggled with doing that unless there was an obvious open door or someone came right out and asked me about what I believe. Now, I don't have to worry about waiting for an open door. This news IS the open door and how I walk with my Jesus will be such a witness that I wouldn't have had before. I don't want to do it on my own strength, but I also don't want to waste the opportunity to shine for Him. So I'm asking Him to life me up through this and let as many people see Him through me as possible.
OK - gotta run (or hobble) as the kids nap. Check back soon,
FSGTB,
Jen
Oops....
Life me up or Lift me up.....either works!
You choose ;-)
Jen,
Either version will do, LOL!
After I read your post, the song lyrics came to me, that say:
"Fill my cup Lord,
I lift it up Lord,
Come and fill this longing in my soul,
Bread of Heaven, fill me till I want no more,
lift me up, fill me up, AND MAKE ME WHOLE."
Okay, it's been years since I've sung the chorus, or thought of it for that matter. The only part I would disagree with, is the part about not wanting any more. Come on! We should always want more and more of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in our spirits/souls/bodies. Amen!
As Kenneth W. Hagin always says, "I won't be defeated, and I'll never give up!" I like it :)
God bless!
Love,
Marge
Good words, Marge!
The linguist in me wonders if the lyrics mean something different than "wanting" as in "getting".
"To want" also can mean "to need", so perhaps the lyrics are meant to read, "fill me up to I need no more", or "fill me up til I have no lack."
That would be a better interpretation, right?
Off to make dinner....
Jen
Jen,
A good point. I dunno.
What I really think the world is longing to see are faith filled believers, that are "real." Warts and all. People want Jesus. But in my observation, most people are fed up with the "religious" attitude of some Christians. Jesus came to earth, lived, ate at sinner's houses, drank wine, and had a good time with people. He came to save us all. People were attracted to Him, because he was 100% human, plus being 100% God.
So keep your candle lit, and letting people see the love and goodness of Jesus, Jen!
Love,
Marge
Hi everyone,
Quick note before I wrap up the day.
We met with the endocrine dr. today to get specifics about my treatments. I'll share some detail later, but we came out feeling very confident and peaceful about what lies ahead, medically speaking. I'm still in a state of peace that passes understanding, which I am so thankful that God is providing. I know there is no way I would have been able to remain this calm and relaxed apart from Him. I was initially preparing myself for 6 weeks of thyroid draw-down leading up to the radioactive pill treatment (there is still a sliver of thyroid left which needs to be suppressed beforehand.) However, my dr. said today that a newer protocol is being used now that eliminates the 6 weeks of drawn-down and instead only involves a short period of suppression followed by 2 days of super TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) to make the remaining thyroid very hungry for the iodine that will be delivered, along with the radiation. My next appt. will be with the radiation doctor whom I am hearing very good things about from several friends who know him. He has done alot of work at FoxChase cancer hospital here in the city and is highly regarded, so I'm eager to meet with him and get additional info on the radiation.
A couple specific prayers are for our insurance to cover this newer treatment plan (it involves getting 2 shots of the TSH) as well as all the other involved treatments, which we are expecting them to, but you never know these days. And just for me to continue dealing with the day-to-day stuff that comes up and trying to keep the family life as normal as possible for the kids and hubby.
My neck is feeling much better so that difficulty is passing. Overall, things are going well and we're so thankful for that. I'll update again soon, but wanted to let you know today's news.
FSGTB in Him!
Jen
Jen,
Thanks for the update! God uses medicine, Doctors, herbs, etc., for healing, too :)
God is a good God! Amen!
Love,
Marge
A thought this morning :)
After reading Jan Markel's newsletter this morning, (Olive Tree Ministries) and her comments about America, and coming judgement, etc. I believe the Holy Spirit placed this verse in my spirit.
2 Chron. 7:14:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
This is a promise for God's people. Israel/Church.
Jan went on to say, that America is no longer a Christian nation. You know, quite truthfully, it never actually was a Christian nation. It was founded on Bible principles, granted. And some not so Bible principles. Anyhow, I'm not here to debate that position.
What I am saying, is that Isreal was protected in the land of Goshen, while they were still living in Egypt. (Egypt being a type/symbol of the world) At any rate, I find some of these articles strange, coming from Faith based communities/ministries. While we are living in the End Times, I still see a mandate to pray. Of course, for our Leaders, but also for our nation. Wheather it is America, Canada, or where ever. Anyhow, just giving my opinion on the recent articles that say, praying for America is useless.
Anyone else care to comment?
Please no stampeding :)
Have a great day in the Lord, and keep smiling! God is still God, and there is none like Him. Amen!
Love,
Marge
Jen,
happy to hear you have the peace of God, that’s important.
Marge,
haven't had time to listen but I'm in agreement that our nation is in big trouble. at the same time, we personally have God on our side, and that is what is really important.
Grany,
please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
John, how are things up north?
Laura, are there any subjects you need our humble opinions on?
Lori, well howdy
Did I miss anyone.. sorry, the mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Oh, I can't wait for our meeting at LW's cafe!!!
anyone want to give the video conference thingy a try?
I pray that everyone has a zip-a-dee-do-da kinda day!!
Maranatha!!!
Mike
Regarding your thoughts, Marge...
I hadn't given the distinction between praying for our nation vs. praying for God's people/the church much thought until the topic came up at the cave (Laura....that's the bigger blog I've mentioned that we also contribute to....the origial Joel Rosenberg folks).
I can't say I've been given the direction to pray either way, so my prayers have been for Israel first, along with her people, leaders, surrounding neighbors to know Jesus, etc. and then our country's leaders, military and families, specific groups like Christians in entertainment fields, etc. I haven't been moved to specifically pray for the nation as a whole, although I do it in pieces as mentioned above, and I haven't been moved to stop praying for those outside the church either.
It's definitely something to seek God's plan for, however. Could it be similar to some being given a word to prepare for coming trials while others have not? Does that line up with Scripture.....God pressing some to pray in one way and others to pray in another? Just throwing some thoughts out there that came off the top of my head this evening! I've been a bit perplexed by the different views being shared at the cave, though. Both sides seem very genuine in where they stand on the matter and don't seem to be basing it on emotions or a sense of throwing in the towel.
I, on the other hand, have been letting an idea roll around in the head about starting a prayer group via blogging in my neighborhood. I've mentioned in the past about wanting to find a way to better connect with my neighbors and center the gathering around prayers for our community. I've been mulling over various ideas for about a year now and the idea of a prayer blog hit me last week. It seemed to be an instant lightbulb moment, but I'm taking some time to pray about it before setting it up. Of course this current medical situation may delay me a bit, but so far I haven't been slowed down much by it so perhaps I won't have to wait long to get the OK from the Lord. But that's the key...making sure it's the Lord's plan and not something that sounds good to me. I get the sense more and more these days that there isn't time to get involved in projects that aren't annointed by Him, so I'm taking my time before jumping into something that will have to be managed on my own strength. That I do not want to be part of!
Anyone else feeling particularly led or not led to be in prayer for our nation's repentance? Or in prayer for God's people only?
Gotta keep movin'... nite!
Jen
Jen,
Some good thoughts. Actually, I still feel led to pray for our nation and it's leaders. People need the Lord. I guess that the point I was trying to make was, even though judgement maybe coming to America, we still need to pray. Because judgement fell in Eypyt, and God made provision for His people.
Mike,
Good to hear from you! However, count me out in regards to anything that would involve technical abilities. I am challenged in that direction :)
What about another opinion? Should we continue to pray for America, Canada, the world in general?
Love,
Marge
Jen,
Just some thoughts..
How did the early church pray about this - i.e. what did Paul say?
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints [emphasis added].
1 Timothy 2:1-4 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
It surprised me when I looked up what Paul said about prayer for others, that almost all references are about praying for other believers - there is nothing about unbelievers!
Jesus only prayed for those who would believe in His name. For non-believers, they had to hear the gospel.
So, the conclusion is that we should pray in tongues for non believers. Then we can be assured that we are praying the perfect will of God (Romans 8:27). We don't need to know what we are praying about, but we do need to pray. This is a very effective way of praying for someone. You can also pray personalized forms of Paul's prayers in Ephesians for individuals - see Ephesians 1:15-21, Ephesians 3:14-19 for believers (ourselves included!) who need to gain a greater understanding (spiritually) of what it means to be a true believer in Jesus, and to walk "in the Spirit" (Romans 8:1-2).
If we want to pray that non-believers will come to know the Lord, then we need to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to them to tell them the good news - Matthew 9:37-38, Romans 10:13-15.
Be careful to only pray in line with those things that are mentioned in the Bible - otherwise it just becomes our "good" idea, rather than a God idea, and will fall to the ground as ashes.
John
Good, Godly words, John and thank you for doing the Scripture digging to share, too.
Do you mind sharing how you pray for your country, if you pray for Canada as a whole? Do you always break it into the 2 groups - believers and non, or would the nation itself be considered in the unbeliever group since it's not the body of Christ, though it contains members of the body? If you've been reading at the cave lately, you know the varying opinions that are being shared there and most revolve around the question of whether it is too late to pray for the US to repent as a whole and be spared judgement, or perhaps to have that judgement delayed. It's a good question, I think, but must be handled in line with Scripture or, as you rightly say, it will a worthless effort.
Have a blessing-filled Friday and I'll check back soon,
FSGTB,
Jen
Marge,
I too have been getting that verse lately. And an impression to pray for the US to repent.
I vaguely recall an OT reference to a King (??) previously evil in the eyes of the Lord, who repented and began to repent FOR the sins of his people and God spared them. My life/brain is very scattered right now so please help me clarify this if I do not have it right. That reference made an impression on me and during my prayer times, I have felt pressed to pray for the nation to repent and also to repent for them.
That topic does lead me to something that I know I need more clarification on - praying believing, agreeing in prayer, praying in the Spirit and in general "believing".
I have always "believed" in my mind, but truthfully there was a lot of "hoping/wishing" in my heart. A few months ago, a light bulb came on and I believed for real. BUT I had difficulty with the belief not covering all areas.
For example, I think I have mentioned that we are in a temp. situation. My teacher hubby lost his job in FL last Sept and we are now living with family in PA while he has subbed this whole year. After a period of despair over hoping for a real job and home of our own, I had waves of belief just wash over me. God WILL provide. I BELIEVED it. But, I had difficulty believing that a friend in FL would be healed of her cancer. I could believe for myself but not for others.
Now, months later, I am easily slipping back into despair and not feeling His presence. I know that this is a sanctifying period meant to strengthen my faith - similar to when you teach your kids to ride a bike you run along behind holding on and then let go. Not that God lets go of us, just doesn't hold our hand, so to speak. Sometimes we just have to trust to build up those "muscles".
In addition, is it true that maybe I do not believe for my friend's healing because she may not be saved? I mean, I know God could heal her and use this situation to bring her to a true salvation experience.
So, I am not sure "how" to pray believing OR to agree with someone in prayer. The closest I've come to an understanding is last week I was emailing with Jen about her current health issues and it just rose up within me. I was agreeing with her in prayer. But I'm not sure what happened or how to grasp that fully.
I do know what it means to pray in the Spirit, though I have not received the baptism. Recently, I read a lot at John's blog, listened to a lot of different sermons, did a study of Acts and prayed over it. I believe it is for real but also I think the HS told me 'not now' because of our living situation. There is no place completely private in this house. Could that be??
Anyway, I realize this is long and probably not making much sense. I am very frazzled lately (I know, worry = unbelief) and don't feel like I'm in my right mind. Please pray for me.
Also, I sense something approaching. Maybe just in my life? A year ago in March, I went to a Beth Moore conference in FL and it became a corner stone event for what has now been a 15 month period of preparation for something. It has been intense, painful, and sanctifying all at once. I/we am/are exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually. Now, Beth is in our area this weekend. I had not planned to go b/c of finances and I was not at all disappointed. But a friend saw that Beth was giving away some free tickets and at the very last minute, and well after any free tickets should have been left (and without asking me). she was able to get one for me. It seems as though the HS has made it a point to get me there. I am slightly nervous and excited for what He has for me tonight/tomorrow. This has all the markings of another corner stone. Please pray that I will be open to hear His word and not let my "fear of man" issues squash me from responding and receiving what He has for me.
Blessings!
Laura
Laura,
I believe you are referring to King Manasseh. Go to 2 Chron. 33. Is this the situation you had reference too?
Also, I believe you'll receive from the Lord this weekend. As the saying goes, "it wasn't by accident that you are suppose to go."
The prayer of agreeement is powerful. Matt. 18:19 and 20.
Spiritual growth, and physical growth are much the same. So, it's always best to start acting and believing, in faith, at the level you're presently at, etc. But your (faith) will grow as you continue to act in faith.
It's also quite common to be able to have strong faith in one area of your life, and not another area. Again, it's the faith we use, in any area of our lifes.
Now, when you start to believe for another's healing, they have something to do with it, as a general rule. However, God is God, and sometimes manifests a healing, in someone who isn't saved, or isn't believing for anything. However, that's the exception. Usually, the other person needs to hear, and be saved. The same goes for healing. Because faith comes by hearing the word of God. Romans 10:17.
So, let's agree, in faith, right now, that God works mightily in your life this weekend? Agreed? Agreed!
God bless!
Love,
Marge
Okay, now how about all the rest, adding what the Holy Spirit lays upon your hearts. Thanks!
Hey Laura,
I sent by email a devo that Marge shared with me a few weeks ago. I think it will be a good encouragement because it was for me when I was feeling a similar distancing between myself and the Lord recently. It was frustrating and sad for me, but this message helped me see it in a different perspective.
John, was it you who shared many moons ago about receiving the Spirit at the time you asked? Someone here did and I know it was helpful for me because I had just spent two weeks between asking to receive the fullness of the Spirit and actually speaking in tongues for the first time. If I remember correctly (perhaps it was in the Hagin book "Beyond the Upper Room"), Scripture tells us that the Father gives to all who ask (He makes not distinction in giving His gifts), but then there's the process of yielding to the gift and allowing it to spring forth. I don't want to write more until I dig out my books/Bible to make sure I'm on track, but if anyone else can add to that, please do. I've been thinking about mentioning that for Laura's consideration because I know that she and her DH have both sought to receive the infilling previously. Anywho....
I wanted to mention 1 other thing that goes along with the believing/healing question. I still have many questions myself about the influence I can have in a situation that's outside my realm of authority (Rev. Hagin points out that we aren't given authority over everyone, so we can't expect to walk down the street casting out demons and healing everyone's sickness. Relationship is important. I remember Grany asking a cave friend if she could pray for her as if she were a sister and I knew she was asking for permission to have that authority.) For myself and my immediate family, I have authority in Jesus to continue the work He was doing here and expects us to continue in His power. But getting outside that circle is still something I'm studying. Obviously, there are those annoited in healing ministry, but I'm talking about everyday people in situations like Laura described with her friend.
(to be continued)
(continued)
That being said, I have followed a blog about a family whose baby girl was born severaly prematurely and with many health issues as a result. She was only 1 pound at birth and was the smallest baby known to go through heart surgery. For many months, she made progress and overcome incredible setbacks. Her parents are strong Christians and shared their faith in every post and they always held out hope for one miracle after another as she battled for her health. A month or so ago, she underwent another surgery but something happened during it and oxygen was cut off, resulting in her becoming braindead. It was a terrible and unexpected shock and things looked really grim, although the family held out hope for one more miracle. I was praying for her recovery, too, and really felt the Lord blessing that prayer time. The Spirit would bubble up inside of me and I had tears streaming down my face with a big smile when I was finished. If you can taste victory, that's what it was like, even though the medical reports were increasingly negative. In the unbelieving world, my belief in the baby's condition would have made no sense, but I still felt no reason to stop believing that she would be healed. Then a few days later, her family started speaking about making memorial plans for her and having a photographer come to take final pictures. It was like the light went out in my spirit and something was disonnected. A few days later she passed away. This leads me to one of the key questions that I'm working with and I've taken flak for it already, but I want to get it right because it is of such great consequence. Apart from God choosing (as Marge said) to heal someone outside of their salvation or outside faith in that benefit of being saved, can prayers of incomplete belief work against the prayers of complete faith? Or can words and actions that express that incomplete belief affect an outcome, even if others are praying in complete faith? I don't ask this question lightly, because as you know, I spent many years praying for children and lost my first 2 babies. I believed in Jesus as my Savior, but I cannot say that I had faith in God restoring my body's ability to carry a child; I had hope, but not faith. It pains me now to think it, but were my years of keeping one foot in hope and one foot in defeat (as a defense mechanism and way to avoid total crushing of hope....if I'm ready for bad news ahead of time, it won't hurt so much when it comes) a cause of my infertility and miscarriage? I don't blame myself, but I sure wish I had made the faith breakthrough before we had to go through those very painful years.
OK, this has turned into a much longer than expected post and the kids are threatening mutiny if I don't feed them lunch now.
Lots to chew on here, but hopefully it will give Laura some new things to consider - let's back them up with Scripture and recognize anything that's not soundly from the Word. As I said, I don't have everything settled, but it's a journey that we're all on together and this is where I'm paused in mine.
Have a good weekend ahead and hope to hear lots of good reports from everyone in the coming days! Have a good time, L!
FSGTB,
Jen
It was me, and after reading Beyond the Upper Room. I prayed specifically that I be baptisted with the Holy Spirit. I also prayed for weeks.
Maranata
Mike
Jen, the first thing that came to mind when I read your last post was Psalm 34 I read just this morning..
I have had so many challenges to my faith walk. Thought everyone here has GREATLY enhanced my faith walk. Having the Faith of a child has been a challenge for this old man. But I was reminded what it was like when I saw a video (the truth project) with dad standing near the center of a pool encouraging their young child to "jump - I'll catch you". You can see the fear and turmoil in the childs eyes, but with faith in there earthly father they jump and of course are caught. How much more will our Father catch us!!
Oh how wonderful is our God.
Maranatha
Mike
Jen and Mike,
Some good comments/thoughts!
While we have authority over our households, we don't have authority over everyone's households, correct. Unless they give us the authority. And while we have authority (within that context) over evil spirits, in the name of Jesus, we have no authority over human spirits. As Kenneth E. Hagin used to say, "if we had authority over human spirits, we could have everyone get saved, and move right into the M. today." God allows free will.
There's much to learn. And it is a journey. And although we're not where we want to be in our faith walk, we can turn our heads, and see where we've all covered some distance :) Thanks be to God!
I'm also looking forward to some good reports! Enjoy the weekend!
Love,
Marge
Hi everyone,
I have been absent and I apologize for it. I got my computer pampered by the IT group here and it was a time to praise God. I mean that literally too. All of those young men are born again, Holy Spirit filled and praising God Christians. We played the DVD Il Divo with the Amazing Grace presentation. Oh, it was wonderful. They even prayed with me before I left them to finish up their work. My whole problem was a video card and the repairs that I had done last spring, well, one of those parts was messing things up. Wrong part for my computer. Geek Squad even replaced the part free of charge because these young men handled it.
MIKE, you are sweetie and I really do appreciate your concern. My old keyboard was one of the kind that doesn't have the keys marked and I loved it because it just kept going and going. I have replaced 4 or 5 computers since that board came to me but it got tired and we had to put it down. Well, my precious son-in-law brought me a Gateway keyboard that works great and feels good too. I never look at the keys anyway and what a surprise to find letters printed on every key. Now that could make things easier for me in my elder years. The funny thing about the keyboard is I like the noise of the keys clicking and the new one with the all-in-one was totally silent. Also, found out that the reason I was having a fit with the Sony Computer was, you ready?, I wasn't logged on! hehehehehehe
Well now, don't you all laugh at the same time but this is the first computer I have ever had that I didn't start from scratch on it getting it connected, set up and registering it. Darien did it all for me and I just assumed he had done the same with logging on. I never do my computers with user name to start with.
I have to tell you that Jen's dynamic experiences with the thyroid has turned on the lights for me again. When I read that the report came back cancer, it really made me angry that Satan would dare to attack a Holy Spirit filled child of God when the Saviour of our souls had defeated him at the cross and the grave. How dare him! Then I remembered James admonition to "count it all joy in whatever circumstances you find yourself in" knowing that God gets the glory for the deliverance that is at hand. I am praying for you Jen and it is the only way I can help you. I wish I was closer because I know the perfect way to spoil children.
I haven't caught up with all of the remarks yet but I will before I close the computer down for the night. You know sometimes I think God does allow us to go through trying times so we will learn that He will always bring us through it with flying colors.
I am going to install a new Norton Security suite that a precious young man sent me today so I have to read fast and then get to work.
Love to you and God's greatest blessings for each of you,
Grany
Good to hear from you, Grany!
Thank you so much for the encouraging words. They mean alot and they're helping alot, too. I am feeling really well and had a great day with the kids doing outside work and getting the house back in some semblance of order. My garden is growing really well, too, so I'm all excited about that. Since you can't spoil me, just pick someone else who is in need of some extra attention and lay it on thick in my honor :-)
I have to share something that has brought me great joy since my diagnosis last week. I haven't shed a single tear yet except for one outpouring that was a mix of amazing joy and some long-overdue repentance. I was talking with the Lord about how this was going to be used to further His plan for us and others that He would bring across our paths...new doctors, people at the hospital, anyone that I wouldn't have met otherwise. I had promised God that if cancer was indeed the outcome, then I would do everything possible, walk through every open door, to use it to bring His name into the lives of others. I'm determined to yield myself to Him so that Satan wishes he had never picked me to come against. As I was re-asserting that pledge, I had the most amazing lifting of a burden that I didn't even realize I was carrying and that was a spirit of timidity. I often struggle with that, as I'm sure most of us do at times, and it has kept me from sharing Jesus with people that I knew needed to hear about Him. Too often I wait for the perfect moment or worry about all the reasons why it's not the right timing, although I'm getting much better at just leaping off that ledge as I grow in my faith. I've been praying for unsaved family members for a long time now, but distance and lack of common interests always keeps me from connecting with them, especially my cousins who I'm not really close with, on either side. But this diagnosis has actually given me such a wonderful sense of freedom because it's created a reason for me to connect with them. I need to hire a secretary to handle all the calls and emails I'm getting and that's been a bit stressful, but at the same time, I just use each one as an opportunity to let them know that I am being held up by the same hands that created the universe and I am walking through this without a sense of fear or anxiety, not because I have some ability to set those aside, but because when you let Him direct your ways, there isn't room for those things. And lots of people, most in fact, just can't accept that. I can't count the times I've had people express pity or assume I'm going through the stages of denial, etc. Valerie, the triplet mom I help, actually said that it's OK to grieve the death of my health! Arghhhhh!
(TBC)
(continued)
Laura had a wonderful prayer for me last week which included the following: "I will also be praying against the "encouragement" of defeated brothers and sisters and that the Holy Spirit will be a shield around your heart and mind to deflect their darts of panic and worry." That's really the hardest part...not letting those kinds of comments seep in or drag away my joy. So anyway, just wanted to let you know that wonderful things are already underway! I meet my radio-oncologist on the 22nd. His name is Dr. Hightower, but I keep wanting to call him Dr. Strongtower because Psalm 61:3 ("The Name of the LORD" is a "Strong Tower from the enemy". We need not fear his breath nor his shadow. For there is a place in God that we can run to for safety. It's called "The Name Of The LORD.") is one of the Scriptures I've been claiming. Hope I don't slip up when I meet him!
Also, Mike, it's so funny you mention Ps. 34. I read David Wilkerson's blog just a day or two before the biopsy report and he quoted some verses from that Psalm for those who were facing a difficult circumstance. I made a mental note to read the full text later. Then I read the article about how safe the radioactive treatments were for children to be around and how some women were isolating themselves from their families for 2 weeks, instead of the standard 3 days. I began to have a sense of panic about what might happen to our kids if 3 days wasn't enough and whether I should think about sending them away for much longer. I knew I needed to get in the Word before the panic took hold, so I remembered that I wanted to read the whole Ps 34 text. I had to laugh because verse 5 says "those who look to Him are radiant." It had God's hand all over it...radiation....radiant....and I moved back into His peace knowing that even if 2 months isn't long enough to be isolated, He'll take care of the details and will shelter our family from any harm.
Alright, I think I've taken up enough internet space for one day, so I'll say good night! Grandma and I are taking La for lunch at a tea room and then a visit to a doll museum tomorrow, so I need my beauty rest or I won't look proper amongst the scones and china cups ;-) She said the sweetest thing today. Tickled me pink...she was eating her PB&J and looked up and said, "Mommy, I can't wait to see Jesus. I'm going to run up and give Him the biggest hug and tell Him I've been waiting so long to see Him." One of those moments I wish I could replay whenever I needed to hear it again.
Check in later,
FSGTB,
Jen
I saw a special presentation yesterday on TBN, about the Bible Codes. And I learned a couple of facts, that I wanted to share with everyone, that I found interesting, and that I'd not heard before, either.
1. Sir Issac Newton spent a large deal of his research on the Bible codes.
2. he believed (along with many Jewish teachers) that the Bible Codes were multi dementional. That the text was given by God, letter by letter. And that oneday technolgy would discover this fact.
Okay, to break it down a little more, for the blonde in me to understand (smile, and I found this helpful) to read the text, is one dementional. Then the Bible Code with the skip theory (whatever it's called, I forget offhand) is two dementional. (it spells out names, dates, and such when certain letters are skipped, etc.) But, to think that oneday the Bible Codes will go even deeper, when it's discovered, really blew me away! God is so great! Why not? Anyhow, just a little news, that you may, or may not have already heard. I found the program extremely interesting.
I trust everyone is having a great Sunday!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
Hi Marge,
We were watching the same program and we (Bob got hooked with me) stayed up til 1AM watching it!
A few years ago I might have dismissed the idea of codes as conspiracy theory or something similar to Nostrodamus. However, not long ago I read something along a similar vein that talked about how the first letters and the last letters of each book in the Bible spell the name of Jesus (I'm not getting that right, I'm sure...might have been something at the cave.) But as we learn more and more about our universe, we are getting to see how everything is so perfectly created, many times in complete symmetry. I know the controvery/criticsm includes warnings about using divination to tell the future, etc. However, it's also known that the wise men used knowledge of the skies/stars to interpret the Scriptures and follow the king star to Bethlehem. I guess wherea a few years ago I would have closed my mind to such a program, today I am willing to leave the door open and consider the greatness of God which could very possibly include coding of significant events within the text. At the very least, it has to get the attention of unbelievers who don't consider the Bible inspired of God. There's no way man could have created (over centuries and dozens of authors) a text which includes a seamless code that mirrors major events of our time. The example of Rabin's murder is particularly interesting, since the code was used to warn him and he ignored the warning. I felt bad for the one man who insisted that miracles didn't exist because they couldn't be repeated and so weren't real (according to science, I guess something isn't real unless it can be replicated and studied???) He's missing sooooo much about the world around him!
Anyway, my 2 cents.
Hope everyone is doing well and gearing up for another great week ahead. Laura, how was your weekend?
FSGTB,
Jen
That Bible code show sounds interesting. Was it a special or is it on regularly? An old pastor we had got interested in numerology, and many in the church rose up and cried heresy. It quickly passed. It may not have been the same thing. I had 2 infants and no time to dig into it at the time.
The conference was amazing. I tried to post here Fri night but I don't know what happened.
The HS spoke to me so specifically and on so many different points. I have never had such a long and deep experience. I felt like I was alone with Him being comforted and reassured. I have not even had a chance to process and pray/journal through much of the content yet. I know I need to do that quickly to cement the Words.
Basically I was told to hold tightly to what He told me before and wait for Him to bring it about. (a job for Hubby) I definitely felt assured that we are living in the right geo. area (we have been questioning moving back here/where we should go now).
Unfortunately, I still doubt whether I heard correctly (or if it was just me) and want to cling to doubt just in case. BUT, I am preparing some Truthful statements (scripture) to memorize and use to kick this doubt (and other monsters that are arising to keep me down)to the curb.
I will post some notes later. Some things she said made me think of you all here! =)
Please pray for me to overcome this doubt and the monsters. Today was a very bad, defeated day. There is a battle being waged over me and we all know Who the winner is!
Have a good night!
Laura
Laura,
Tell satan to leave you alone, in Jesus name! Period. End of story.
You're just taking the authority that Jesus gave to you (believers) is all.
Mark 16: 17 says;
"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;..."
So go ahead and throw the devil out of your life, and your family's life, in Jesus name. You're authorized by Jesus to do it.
And be sure and share your notes, okay?
Oh, it (Bible Codes) was a special, on TBN. Maybe they'll show it again, though. It was an excellent program!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
Morning all!
Laura,
I am in agreement with Marge that the spirit of fear and doubt which has been sent against you will be utterly crushed in the here and now, just as it was crushed for you at Calvary! I saw a perfect message at the Spurgeon devo site that's linked at the cave and it speaks to this as well. Check it out at www.thedailyspurgeon.com
Satan is desperately trying to turn you back toward his plan for your life and away from all the victory and providence that God intends for you and your family.
I've been through those valleys in the last 2 years and sometimes I begin to wonder if the valley has an end, but it does and God's light shows up and just overwhelms me with a stronger faith in Him than I had before. He'll do the same for you. You are definitely ruffling some feathers with your pursuit of Him, though. Remember, you're an overcomer because Jesus is the one alive and working in you. What an amazing thought and comfort, too!
I'll keep praying for you while this all settles out. Let us know how we can specifically stay by you with your needs.
Love you!
Jen
Good Morning!
I just wanted to recommend an excellent book, by Jesse Duplantis. I'm almost thru reading it, and it's excellent! It's called,
The Everyday Visionary.
Wow! A great read!
Also, Destined To Reign, by Joseph Prince, is one of the best books I've ever read, to overcome in this life.
And with a secular recommendation, Dr. Daniel G. Amen's books are great! (you may have seen him on some PBS specials) I've read, Change Your Mind, Change Your Life, and Magnificent Mind at Any Age. Both books are very insightful.
Also Joseph Prince is aired on TBN and Daystar T.V.
Have a wonderful week, everyone!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
What time on TBN Marge, I usually have in on in my office most days. Though I occationally have to flip it to Fox news.
I pray everyone had a God filled weekend.
Maranatha
Mike
Mike,
TBN and Daystar have websites, with their programs listed. And both Jesse Duplantis and Joseph Prince are on, at a regular basis, on both Daystar, and TBN. Great programs, both!
Have a great day, and God's blessings!
Hi all!
Just wanted to share some notes from the Beth Moore conference last weekend before the week gets entirely away from me!
The topic was 'The Perfect Storm'based on Acts 27-28. She also referenced the movie by the same name which told the true story of a fishing boat lost at sea.
7 things we can learn:
1. Sometimes we're in the exact spot where several storms collide.(27:13-15) Often there's a war going on over what God wants to do in your life. What's the point of a storm? To shake us up so that we will not be satisfied with our earthly accomplishments.
2. The question of fault always arises in a furious storm. (v. 21) Storms rarely involve only 1 person - others in your life will get wind & rain as well. BUT cling to the word He has given you (v. 22-26)GOD is the one who has you in the storm so that He can get you somewhere you would NOT have gone otherwise!
3. The titanic temptation in a storm is to give way to it. (27:15) Beware not to fall back into old addictions, new meanness, etc. Be blown by the Spirit! He is calling us to emerge from the storm strong.
4.To make it thru the storm sometimes we have to cut some ropes. (27:32)Don't trust yourself to a little lifeboat when we have a God who measures the seas in His hand!
5. Our 1 life can invite the favor of God to many in the storm. (v. 24) God can bless your workplace, neighborhood, etc. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE THERE! SO are you throwing a fit in the storm or being used to throw some favor to those around you so that lives are saved? Live the gospel!
6. On the other side of the storm, the serpent is all bite and no venom. (28:3-6) We are NOT powerless. We are NOT victims of the evil one.
7. The point of every perfect storm is to see the work of God thru us unhindered. (28:31)
Some other thoughts I picked up:
- we try to protect our happy little life but we can protect ourselves from our calling
- 27:33 the men were in constant suspense. When we're in constant suspense confess Truth (out loud) until you know what you do not know!
- When you know something is a big deal God moment, ignore those making fun or not getting it. Do not let anyone take it from you. You can never make too big a deal out of Jesus!
- Storms resurrect monsters we try to keep hidden so that God can kill them.
- Do not rest until the loss becomes gain & He gets all the glory He deserves!
Lord, in the name of Jesus, protect us from everything but Your glory! Let the wind and the waves do the very worst. I WILL make it to my Malta - the place where the enemy may bite me, but NOT poison me!
Glory to God!
Have a wonderful day!
Laura =)
Laura,
Thank you so much for sharing your notes! Wow!
I forget the name of the song, or which group sings it, but the song lyrics came to me, after reading your notes,...
"...It's a big, big house,
It's my Father's House,..."
We serve a great big God!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
P.S. Confessing God's Word is so very important. I couldn't agree more!
Yes, L, those notes are powerful and I felt the Spirit witness and confirm them as I read your post. I'm so glad you could see His provision for your specific situation in Beth's message. I'm learning more and more that I only need to focus on the Truth of His Word and not be distracted or cowed by those around me who aren't as hungry as I am to know what His truth says about living life daily. It's astonishing sometimes when I think of how much tradition I've lived with for so many years. But I also know that when I shed that fear of bringing the Truth up against those traditions, God is free to work in the hearts of not only me, but those around me. I can see movement in many family members who are getting hungrier for the next depth, or dissatisfied with the stale old answers they've leaned on forever. As I mentioned awhile ago (before you were with us here), I had a lightbulb moment one day when I realized it's not "What Would Jesus Do?", it's "What Does Jesus Want To Get Done Today?" In the first case, I'm trying to be like Him on my own power and wit. In the second case, I'm just turning myself over to Him and letting Him accomplish the work He wants to get done that day. It's doesn't seem like a big difference, but it really is. Anyone see the kids' movie, Ratatioulle? (spelled wrong, I think.) When the young chef let the rat guide him, his cooking was sensational, but when he kicked the rat out and tried to imitate the rat from memory, his cooking fell flat and he became desperate. Kinda the same thing with letting Jesus actually direct us and just trying to imitate Him.
Marge, the Joseph Prince devo you emailed today was great, really struck a chord with me. Thanks again!
And I think the song you mean is by Audio Adrenaline. I saw them in concert a few years ago...they might be coming out with a new album, if I recall correctly.
Having a great day in the Lord! Hope everyone else is, too!
FSGTB,
Jen
PS. Two prayer requests...Melissa, daughter of our family friends Barb and Gordy, is in need of release from a host of attackers which come in the form of mental instability. Medically speaking, she has things like Bipolar disorder, ADD, oppositional defiance disorder. She was working at a bakery and soon ready to take a managerial position, but when they cut her hours back, she snapped and told them off and quit. No thinking about the consequences, how she'll pay rent, etc. She doesn't even have a checking account because she can't keep track of it. Barb is so frazzled by it and goes between wanting to intervene and doing the tough-love approach. There is a history of suicide on Gordy's side, so that fear keeps her from totally turning her out. We went through the same situation with my brother, so I can totally relate and I keep encouraging her, but it's hard to go from high hopes to these crash days. The whole family suffers, too.
Also, my Matt got an insect bite on his forehead and it is really swollen up. He had hives from a medicine over the winter, so I know he's sensitive. I'm praying for a quick healing or we'll be at the dr. tomorrow. I'm tired of dr visits!
Jen,
Agreeing with you, for each prayer request.
Also, for insect bites, there is a wonderful product out there, called, Band-Aid, anti-itch gel, and it's in a little half tube dealy. (dealy, being quite specific there, LOL!) Anyhow, I had several insect bites from being over in Bob's "back property." It's wetlands, and only dries up a couple of monthes out of the year :( Anyhow, to make a long story short, (TOO LATE, LOL!) I was grocery shopping and the one bite was really itching, and burning! So, I went and looked at the usual products, that don't help much, in my case. And there was this stuff, (moving on from dealy) and I picked it up and it said, it was for insect bites and Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac. It was much like the movie you mentioned, Rat...whatever, which was really good! So I bought it. And it works really, REALLY well! (it's .45 Camphor) And yes, I have suffered with hives in the past. EEK! Being mostly Scottish/Welsh, I have freckled skin, and I'm fair, etc. Anyhow, after the purchase of the Band-Aid product, I said, a big, thank you, Jesus! The Holy Spirit leads us, in every day things, if we allow Him too. And we learn to hear His voice. Sometimes, it's easy to hear the voice of our own spirit. But it's a learning process. Baby steps :) BTW, did anyone see the movie, What about Bob? (baby steps, LOL!) That movie was a hoot, IMHO!
Well, it's overcast today, and I need to take advantage of getting some chores done around here. I thought I'd take a computer break, and I'm happy I did. Can't say the same for the rest of you, ha, ha!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
Hey Jen!
About the insect bites....in FL, we were always on alert for fire ants. Woo they are nasty! They sting AND bite, leaving a hard bubble with a white "head". Sammy & I always reacted worse than the others. Several inches around the bubble always swelled up and turned purple. They are the itchiest bug bites I have ever experienced and they last for weeks, sometimes leaving a scar. The ONLY thing that worked to reduce the swelling and relieve the itching was EXTRA strength Benadryl. Sam has sensitive skin and is very fair and I used that on him since he was 1.
(We're still gun-shy about every ant pile even though they are not here in PA!)
Agreeing in prayer for your friend!
Love you!
Laura
Well, it's a been a day for the books :O
I forgot to mention earlier that I had to revisit the surgeon because my internal stitches were becoming external. I thought they were supposed to dissolve inside, but they began to come out one end of the scar. Last night I gave the thread a tug which sent a ripple across my neck and totally freaked me out! Then the scar began to turn red, so I got myself to the dr. this morning and had it checked out. Things are fine, but the stitch may continue to be forced out if my body is viewing it as an invader, so I might have to keep trimming it myself. No infection, so that was good news.
I also forgot to mention that Matt got a kick in the mouth from his little sister (little by 2 minutes, that is) and now a front tooth is wiggly. A year before it should be! Thankfully they got their 4-year old portraits taken last week. I hauled them all to the pediatrician's office tonight because Matt's forehead was swelling up like a water balloon. I thought stings were always red, hard and fevered, but his is just mushy, but spreading downward. Since he had that terrible hives outbreak last spring, I was worried it might be even more swollen inside. Dr. said it looked fine and might get bigger, but the downward spread was a sign that it was draining. Just keep up the Benadryl and ice compresses on it. But she said I should have a denist look at the tooth in case the root was damaged. Infections can set in and cause damage to the adult tooth. So we prayed about Matt's various ailments at bedtime tonight and I'm going to add some more on my own later tonight. I also asked her if my thyroid cancer could possibly have been spread to the kids while they were in utero. That thought occured to me last week when the dr. said the growth could have been there for more than 5 years. I very possibly could have had it while pregnant, but was greatly relieved when she said that it wouldn't have spread; only things that are in the mother's blood are capable of spreading to the baby. Thank you God!
Off to work on a new blog post for my 3Peas blog. I have some cute pix from the last month that I've been meaning to share.
Have a good night!
FSGTB,
Jen
Good Morning!
Jen - I had to chuckle at your stitch story. Only b/c it happened to us! A few years ago, Caleb (for the others, he's our oldest, now 10) collided head to head with another boy - both running full speed. C's eyebrow/forehead split wide open, down to the white covering over the muscle. He had 2 layers of stitches and the internal ones also began to come out. We FREAKED! Like he was unraveling! =) Our friend is a ped an he stopped by the house on his way home from work. Same result as yours, just keep trimming! It healed completely leaving a "Harry-Potter-like" scar.
We are also right with you in the tooth dept! A week ago Sun. Sam hit himself in the mouth with a hockey stick and knocked out his PERMANENT front tooth. Out. On the floor. Completely. (SOOO much blood!!!) Dentist said to pop it back in, so Todd did (he's so brave!) and they are amazed at how well it looks! We did have to take him to a endodontist - root canal specialist. They glued on a ribbon of kevlar as a splint and he cannot bite or eat anything harder than pasta for another week. He's also on an antibiotic since the tooth was out and on the garage floor.
All that is AFTER he was kicked in the mouth last summer and his baby tooth was knocked loose. We had him xrayed and were careful. It also healed completely and he lost it normally.
Sorry to blab on and on about kid injuries (with 3 boys we are no stranger to the ER!) but I was actually going to relate the tooth story anyway.
Jen, you mentioned seeing movement in your family and not being afraid to stand in Truth against tradition. I have seen slight tremors of change in my family - esp. my youngest sister, and my mom seems to be following behind her, doing what she does, if you will. (My dad is still as steadfast in tradition/legalism as ever, in fact getting more vocal now that he's attending our contempory-styled church which is SOLID in Truth)
The tooth incident happened at my mom's house and my parents freaked. This was more than just "ahhhh, blood!". It was more "oh no! All is lost!" The amount of blood did sort of undo me, but I was not hopeless, even if his tooth was forever lost. I just knew God would take care of it and praised Him it was not Sam's head. Later, my mom kept saying that she could not figure out why I was not freaking out. It took me awhile to put the 2 together, but then I realized where my hope was and where it was no longer! YEAH!
OK, off to do errands!
Have a great day in the Lord!
Laura
Morning, L!
OK, thanks for sharing those rough-housing stories. Matt only mentions his tooth hurting when I ask him about it, so I don't think it's causing him great pain. I'm trying to figure out how to get him to the dentist without having to drag the other 2 along since it might be a longer visit than they can stay quiet for :-)
I have a ton of people offering to help me with stuff, but no one can really drop everything (they are all young mothers themselves) and run over to sit with the kids whenever I get an appt. so it will probably be a few days til I get him looked at/ Xrayed. But God will keep the tooth safe no matter how long it takes.
As for family moves, I see evidence of shifts in small ways, but in many places. I think it is SO true that people are watching us and being piqued by our actions (or sometimes lack of reactions) to things we go through, even things like a loose tooth. It might just plant enough of a question in their minds for them to begin investigating their own beliefs/reactions. That's how I got started...John and Marge and Grany kept talking in a way that I couldn't reconcile with my own understanding, but I knew they were quoting Scripture so I had to figure out how to make the connection. And I knew that they were dealing with alot of Scripture that I had set aside as un-understandable or too complex for me to untangle. That was the open door that Holy Spirit used to begin picking away at my traditions and assumptions. I'm so thankful for their willingness to share! And I keep in mind that God desires the same for each person and that helps me to stay focused when I run up against someone who is really stubborn.
His truth can crumble any barrier!
OK -off to attend to housework now.
I'll check in later.
FSGTB,
Jen
Laura and Jen,
I remember those days in the ER., and boy's injuries. I have 4 sons :) In fact, my second oldest son's Birthday is today! John is 41 years old today.
After reading your comments, Romans 4:17b came to mind :)
"...and calleth those things which be not as though they were."
That's faith. I just heard Charles Capps, Concepts of Faith, on Daystar T.V. (once a week, on Thursday A.M.) and he just reminded everyone, that real faith comes when you remember the authority behind our faith. He recalled how Jesus told the Roman officier that he had used real Bible faith. Why? Because he recognized authority. Also, Charles Capps brought out that Jesus came to fullfill the Law. And that when Roman law was changed, the old law was (are you ready for this one?) nailed to a tree! Some great faith teaching. As Charles Capps says, you have to feed your faith, and starve your doubts. Good teaching!
Have a great day in the Lord!
God bless.
Love,
Marge
Love that advice...feed your faith, starve your doubts! One will grow, the other will shrivel away into nothing.
I need to release some praise today about the doors that God is opening with my health situation. I asked Him months ago to please let use this as a way to reach others with His name and ALL that goes with that name. This morning, I got a note from the president of our multiple moms club. She read my blog post about the cancer diagnosis and coming treatments and wanted to know if she could share it with the club. I said of course, so she sent a message to the group. That's over 100 women. Some are friends, others are acquaintances, many I have never met. I already heard from one girl who had thyroid cancer in 07, went on to have her twins in 08 and is planning to do the iodine treatment once the babies are a little bigger. She said the info I shared was very helpful and she was going to keep reading my posts to see how things go for me. So while she's reading about the iodine treatment, she'll also get to see Jesus shining through and I can barely contain my thanks for this opportunity to be a vessel that pours Him out into so many lives! I basically made my blog so my parents could see pictures of the kids but now it's being used way beyond that original intent. God is so good and faithful!
Now, along with that amazing work He's doing, I can sense the enemy looking for an opportunity to sidetrack me. I decided to delete the buttons on the blog that track how many visitors I get and where they're coming from. It was becoming a temptation to check the blog just to see if someone I recognized had stopped by and I felt the Spirit cautioning me against turning it into a 'me' focus. So I have no idea now how many or who is visiting and that turns it back again to God's project, not my own. Writing has always been a passion of mine and a gift, too, as it comes naturally to me. I had kinda given up on ever finding an outlet for it, though, once I chose to become a teacher and now with the kids. But perhaps God still has a place for it in His plan for me and using it to share Him with others just makes it all the more perfect.
OK, I feel better now :-) Back to the nitty-gritty of getting 4-year olds to nap...
Jen
Jen,
Praising God for His use of your blog and the story of His faithfulness!
Marge,
My youngest son's birthday is today, too! He's 7. =)
Prayer request! TOdd, my husband, just mentioned that he's getting a stirring to know more about the HS and His work, etc. Of course, we know He guides into all Truth, so pray for an open heart! =)
I pray to Our God the Father of all creation that everyone here has a God filled weekend.
I must ask for prayers as I am going to see my sister just outside of dallas this weekend. Her name is Kate and has been in alcohol rehab for 2 months now and is finally allowed visitors. I pray that the Holy Spirt will give me the words to encourage her in her struggle and to find the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!!
Marantha!!!
Mike
Laura,
Happy (belated) Birthday to your youngest son :)
Agreeing with you, in prayer for your husband, Todd, too. (for an open heart to the things of the Holy Spirit)
Mike,
Also agreeing with you, for your sister, Kate, to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and complete and total victory over any/all addictions in her life.
Pray about laying hands on her, in prayer, too. And getting her to agree with you, in prayer, that the spirit of alcohol addiction be broken over her life, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Go with God, Mike, and He will always go with you. Amen.
May everyone enjoy a blessed weekend, filled with perfect Shalom.
And Happy Fathers Day, to all the Dads!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
Praying for your daughter Lori.
Mike
Happy Father's Day Mike and John. I hope it was a great day for you and that your special day held much blessings.
I have sent all of you here, that I have email addresses for, an invitation to visit my new blog. This is one of those deals where I am testing some features of the new Dashboard of Blogger to see if it really does work. Also, my blog is just by invitation and if any of the new members here would like to visit and share, send me your email address maybe by Jen or Marge, and I will be happy to add you.
This isn't an attempt to be snooty but I have some things we need to share in freedom and openness of faith. I am open to your suggestions also.
Just a note to tell you that the site cannot be linked to by clicking on my name. That link will only work with my old site and doing it this way, I hope to achieve some privacy when we need it and also, away from prying eyes. Or should I say "I"s.
I am a little anxious about this adventure but here is too new ways of doing things.
Grany
Mike, I forgot to mention your visit to your sister but I did pray about it as you requested.
I love my Norton 360 that some truly wonderful person made possible for me. My computer is running like a lady now and we are getting along fantastic. I never knew how frustrating things going bonk in the night can be but I have great sympathy for anyone going through the same thing.
Jen I am so happy for your recovery and the positive outlook you have through Christ Jesus. The news about your blog is great too and things should be picking up real fast in that line. God doesn't open doors that lead into a dark closet you know but always so He can shine a little brighter.
Laura, I don't think I have greeted your arrival here and I am very sorry for it. I have read your comments and you are precious lady in my opinion. I remember when I was so curious about a certain passage in the bible and ran circles around myself trying to find out what it meant. Even bugging several ministers to explain, which they didn't. They said that part of the scriptures were closed and belonged only to the age of the Apostles.
Then one day a young pastor came to fill the vacancy of our Southern Baptist Church right out of seminary and I had a new resource to challenge. He said the same thing that the others had said but I wouldn't take that as a final word. So, I told him to show in the Bible where it said "Dead" and Out of Order.
I eventually moved on in my beliefs and yet that question never died. I asked pastors, evangelist and teachers over and over the same thing. In Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and then back to Oklahoma. On October 31, 1990 I learned for real and forever, that they were wrong! The scripture verse: Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the **Holy Ghost and with fire:**
17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable."
I wanted to know what it meant that the Holy Ghost would baptize me and fill me with fire! What in the world did that mean. On October 31, 1990 I found that out and life has never been the same since then. What a joy to know that God loves us so much that he would powerfully equip us with the best possible weapons to fight the good fight of faith. All of our hope is in him and he will never let you down.
All he really wants from us is our love and fellowship with him. Not much to ask for is it.
Love and blessings to all,
Grany
I just read Jack Kelley's new article A New Day is coming and it is well worth the time to take reading it.
Grany
Grany,
Thank you so much for your sweet words! You have confirmed in me many things! Or rather the Spirit! =) Jen also just spoke to me in an email about the baptism a couple days ago, so the Spirit must be moving here!
I am learning that I have forever been bending what I felt inside to make it fit what "church" taught and it just never felt right. I thought I was doing something wrong. I was. I was not searching the scriptures out for myself.
About 8 years ago the Lord began to awaken us to His Truth. I grew up in church, my husband some of the time. But we were just following tradition. The first place the Spirit directed us was a Pentecostal church. Of course, we heard from everyone that they were "a cult" and "spoke in tongues" and we were "being lead by Satan" to go there. But we just knew we were supposed to be there. There was something about it...
We were not sure what to believe about this baptism and began to try to search it out. We met several times with one of the pastors but he could not answer my questions. God eventually moved us on, and we tabled the topic of Spirit baptism. But He kept bringing me back to it over the years. I prayed for it, was prayed over to receive it, but never did. At first I just left it as God did not have that for me. And I was ok with that. For a time. =)
Then Jen and I started talking about it after she had rec. the baptism. At the same time, our (me & Hubby) eyes had been opened to scripture and I could understand things that I couldn't before. And I kept being brought back to Spirit baptism.
While visiting a friend in NY last March, I came across a book by R A Torrey called "The Baptism with the Holy Spirit" and the 4 of us went through it together that weekend. I went home and poured over the Book of Acts until I just KNEW it! I saw it there for the first time.
I continue to pray for it, but I am feeling that it will not come while we are in our current living conditions. (temp. living with my MIL and SIL). There is no privacy here and I know I cannot relax enough to yield. Maybe that is wrong of me??? So I still pray and wait.
Anyway, that's my little story! I need to hop off of here and get ready for the day. VBS is this week and I am not ready at all! Hubby and I just love to teach VBS every year! This year is an Outback theme, so I need to go make some kangaroos and get my 3 boys learning their verses!
Have a great day in the Lord everyone!
Laura
PS if anyone has any Spirit baptism words/advice/etc. for me, feel free to share!
Laura,
What you are seeking is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. (smile) Key. It's the Holy Spirit that will baptise/infill you. It is the same Holy Spirit that drew you to salvation. And you have the Holy Spirit living within you now. This is just more of the Holy Spirit, so to speak. It's actually so easy, you're going to get upset with the "religious" world, after you've received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, for complicating it. Of course satan is behind making things ultra "religious" that noone can receive, or it isn't for today, OR better yet, it's from satan, as satan still desires to be worshipped.
Just yield to the Holy Spirit, believe and confess that you have received, because you believe the Bible, and "expect" to receive. Doesn't matter when you have the total evidence because, praise God, it's yours, you're received, and the rest is up to God the Holy Spirit. It won't be long until you're thanking and praising the Lord in tongues, which is the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. In fact, when I received, I just received a word or two. Some people sing and pray in the Holy Spirit for a long time, after they receive the precious infilling/baptism of the Holy Spirit. Everyone's experience is a little different.
I hope this helps a little bit.
But, we receive everything from God by Faith. It's impossible to please God without Faith. And Faith worketh by love :) God is love, and there is no greater love than the love of our Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the precious Holy Spirit. All praise to our God. Amen.
Have a great week!
Love,
Marge
Wilma, Please send me an invite. I think you have my email address. If you sent one it likly went to la-la land. (thats a well used term in the computer world)
Did anyone find Jim's link to the Jun 26 Ark of the covenant? His link just kept trying to translate for me?
Maranatha!!
Mike
That is just like Jim. He wants to be sure it is translated correctly! LOL
Oh, Jim, who can I tease besides you? I had the same problem and decided it was taking too long and pulled the plug on it. Then I went to another link with the same title and walla, it came up in english.
The air around here is getting warm enough to fix dinner on the pavement, how about the rest of you? That is unless you live in Mich., Wisconsin, Wyoming, you get the picture I am sure.
Got lots to do today so I am making my rounds early so I can get on with the big project. Have to get all of the corruptible treasures I have accumulated over the years trashed and moved out. Would you believe my mother saved the newspapers from the WW2 ending. Both the European and the Pacific V-Day celebrations. Oh, my! I also have all of the suitcases that my hubby's mother and father used in the 30's through to the 80's, hubby's from the 40's through to the 90's. Now, some of them are real treasures but the rest are just junk. But if those suitcases could talk wouldn't it be great to hear their tales of adventures.
Gotta get with it.
Mike your are on and good per your request.
Grany
Grany,
Here in western WA. it's in the low 70's, and we should have a few showers by tonight. My kinda weather :)
I hope you aren't overdoing it, in that heat! Yikes! Any special reason you're cleaning out closets and such today?
At least your Mom didn't save old jelly jars, and the like. EEK! My Mom grew up in the Depression, and saved all kinds of things like that. She always used to say, it would come in handy someday. Well, not really :( If you can call taking all those jars to the Dump, coming in handy :) Ah well, as they say, "never judge anyone until you've walked in their shoes." True story.
Good to hear from you!
How has everyone else been lately?
God bless,
Love,
Marge
"Live long and prosper!"
Oh yes, Marge she did save jelly jars, Mason quart jars, Kerr gallon jars and plastic oleo tubs by the truck load. She used to say "you never know when they will come in handy" and she was right. After momma and my brother both took off for heaven 5 weeks apart, I used all of those jars to put her other collections in. Like buttons, bobbins for sewing machines, at 3 machines, jewelry, needles, hair pins, bobby pins, ribbon, embroidery thread, straight pins for sewing, clothes pins, etc. They worked too. Then we had a big church rummage sale and they brought good money for the church. So they did some in handy but we are not going to talk about all of the ancient newspaper articles and even full editions that she saved. Or the amount of fabric she had, and the list goes on. But she left and all of her earthly treasures have been dispensed except for the ones I have dreaded sorting. I think I can handle it now because I have finally had my healing process and ready to move on with them.
Does take time to recover and see the bright side of death no matter where you are in your faith walk. It is something we all have to deal with at one time or another.
Well, back to coolest part of the house for my digging and cleaning. I hit it in bits and pieces so I don't let myself get too hot. About 15 minutes a whack and then go do something else.
All of you have a great day and remember, if God be for you (and he is)then what are you worrying about. No one can be against you and win!
Love,
Grany
Like Marge says, "LIVE LONG AND PROSPER"
Grany,
It's so true, it does take awhile to go thru the healing process. But we know that our Moms are in a far better place, and given the chanse, they wouldn't want to come back, after seeing and experiencing heaven. They're waiting for us, to come, is all. I can remember being caught up with work, my sons, husband, and such, and Mom would call and ask, when I was coming up to visit her? (I live in a valley :) I can almost hear her asking from the balconey of heaven, that it won't be long now, and I'll be coming up to not only visit her, but to live with her, and all of God's family for all eternity. (big smile)
In fact, I drive by Bob's Grandmother's house a lot, and I know she's happy that I'm taking care of Bob. Odd, in a way, isn't it? But not really. Violet was saved a few years before she died. Thank the Lord! She was a gifted, (in the arts) and talented lady, that allowed hurt/rejection drive her to alcohol.
Heaven is a wonderful place. No doubt about it. And we want to bring as many people as we can with us, to our final destination,...heaven. And yes, we DO want to go where no man has dared go before, too! Star Trek wasn't far off. Just had the wrong focus is all. Looking at God's creation, instid of God our Creator.
Good for you, Wilma! Keep sorting, and such. Carry on, LOL! There is a neat little "junk" room here, I should be doing the same thing too. But,...I (unfortunately) am extremely good at making some great excuses, for not getting around to it :) One day, though. When the spirit moves me :)
Enjoy the day, and God bless!
Love,
Marge
Good morning everyone!
It is morning in OKieland and it promises to be another nice warm day. Even the rattle snakes are seeking a cool spot.
We are all witnessing how the world, all of a sudden, takes the subject of God seriously when a "Icon" dies. I am speaking of Michael Jackson and although we will probably hear a lot about him in the coming days, the one thing that I have noticed is how everyone is trying real hard not demonize him anymore. In fact, it seems that each news source has called a man of religion to the forefront to confirm that Michael was very spiritual.
I know I have mixed emotions regarding it and until I heard a Rabbi speaking of his encounter with Michael I was more inclined to hope so. Then the rabbi's statements had a great witness in me. We all know that God looks on the heart of each one of us and God is the perfect examination. So, I am hoping that he was born again and not just a good person, as such.
Marge you are so right about no one wanting to come back from heaven. I have already made my stand very clear to my kids. Don't paddle me back into this world; let me go and know that I am where I have wanted to be for such a long time. I have everything here to cast aside and every desire to see my Savior and soon coming King. I just have to thank Him greatly!
Grany
Hi Grany,
Yes, we always seem to white-wash a person at the time of their death, everyone from family members to the famous. So glad to know that Jesus already completed the biggest white-wash project of all for those who come to Him in repentance and a humbled spirit!
As for MJ, I remember hearing that the family was JW, but he was exploring various faiths in recent years. I also remember hearing something about him becoming a Muslim and taking a new name, but that could have been tabloid fodder for all I know. Yesterday, however, his brother Jermaine gave a short statement at a news conference and ended with "May Allah always be close to you, Michael." However, I still hold out hope and believe that God can reach anyone, even in the last minutes of their life. I think the fact that he was seeking for truth is great encouragement because it shows that his heart wasn't hardened. We can also take comfort in knowing that God doesn't get worn out or frustrated with His pursuit of us and never misses an opportunity to reach someone with His love.
FSGTB,
Jen
I know I've told this story before, but it always amazes me. (I have no idea which Minister told this either, unfortunately as I'd give them credit for it, wholeheartly!)
It is about the three first thoughts that you'd have upon entering heaven.
1. That who you expected to be there, (maybe) weren't there.
2. That who you NEVER expected to be there, ARE there.
3. And that thru the grace of God, you made it in, and are home :)
Well, we know the third thought is because of Jesus, and the high price He paid for our salvation. Thank the Lord salvation is free, but it wasn't cheap. Our salvation came at a high price. Can we EVER, thru out eternity, thank Jesus enough for paying that price? I don't think so. Every time I see Jesus, I'm going to thank Him, for allowing me into the family of God. Wow! I think about our Jesus, and I love Him all the more, with each day that passes. And you know what? EVERYONE loves Jesus! (if they're not into the occult, devil worship, etc.) Anyhow, you get my point, I'm sure. Even Muslims think Jesus was a Prophet, and only did good while on earth, etc. That won't bring them into a saving knowledge of Jesus, granted. But Jesus has always attracted people to Him, and His great love for humanity.
Gotta go make some dinner for now. Just hopped, On Line, to see what was up :)
God bless.
Love,
Marge
Jen,
Very sound assessment of MJ and I know that God has the final say. It is a good reminder for the world that death is not a respecter of persons, age or wealth. Seems there were some very sad childhood torments for Michael and that does really bother me. If I were to be an advocate for any group it would be children fro all types of predators and any kind of abuse. When I see anyone mistreating a child my natural instinct is to interrupt it right then. Sometimes just saying hi and smiling at the abuser stops the whole chain of events.
Children love to be loved and they flourish like a precious flower but abuse will tarnish their spirits and cause all kinds of future ailments.
Getting ready to go cool off but wanted to check in with you all.
Grany
Expect a Miracle today!
Or, as Kenneth E. Hagin used to say; (this is a joke, so don't get upset with him, or me, okay?)
"Blessed is he/she who expects nothing,
because they won't be disappointed :)"
Take no offense, because none is intended. But it does drive the point home, doesn't it? Or not.
Enjoy the Lord, and rest in Him today.
God bless,
Love,
Marge
Oh, Marge,
That saying is so right on! Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name. That is all any of us need and I get the very deep impression that is where we are being taken. We have accumulated so many "things" and have almost a worship type reverence for them to the point that it takes us away from the joy of the Lord when something happens. We can even do that with people. For instance, I had been taking care of all my brothers affairs for 7 years and my mothers physical needs for over from 1980. My brother suffered a massive brain hemorrhage in Feb. 1990 while in Kent, WA and I was appointed his conservator, which lasted until his death in January 1997. My focus and attention was scattered among my hubby, his father, my mother and my brother. Slowly but surely, the Lord started taking a back seat in so many ways. Then cancer hit my mother in 1992 but she was healed of that one. Then my brother was allowed to come to Oklahoma from the State of Washington, dwelling with mother from 1992 until 1996 when she passed into Heaven. Five weeks later my brother joined her and all of a sudden I was alone. My relationship with hubby had more or less deteriorated until he was just a memory of someone I had so loved. He refused to be a part of my family's life but he did allow me to spend my time taking care of them and I truly appreciated it. His interest was in flying aerobatics and traveling so he wasn't being totally ignored. But the Lord has a way of bringing us back to the side of His Father. My mother, brother and I loved our church and the family there to the point that it was our home away from home and our attention to it was greater than to the illnesses that threaten everyone.
I think the thing that has become my new attachment has been the blogs and this is just as distracting as anything else. I could get attached to the world so easily and not even realize it. It was and is a shock to come face to face with our weaknesses. I didn't realize what I was doing at the time but looking back, God was very gracious to all of us in giving us the space to get some reality of who we are and what we are supposed to be doing.
So, KEH is right on, don't expect a whole lot and you won't be disappointed. Besides, when you get a surprise it will mean so much more.
Love and blessings,
Wilma
Grany,
The verse of Scripture that comes to mind, (for me) is Rev. 2:4, and maybe for all of us. (after reading your comments) Doesn't mean anyone HAS left their first love, but a caution to be on the alert not too.
"Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
And verse 5 goes on to tell believers to repent, and to once again do their first works, etc.
(it would do us all good to review what Jesus is saying to, "the Churches, in Rev.")
It's easy to get caught up in life. Especially now, with the economy, and with "change" almost everywhere we look. It is time to look to Jesus, the author, and finisher, of our salvation, isn't it? And to set aside any distraction, whatever that would mean for any of us. Usually "good" things, but not necessarily "God" things. And sometimes it's only for a season, too. (setting aside some good things) It's so important to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lifes. He will lead us, if we yield to Him. Amen.
As always, God's best to everyone!
Love,
Marge
Wahoo! I have my desktop computer up and going like a breeze again. I am always so thankful for the young men and women in our community in general. The youngmen who have the IT shop here are some of the best and I just really enjoyed having the excuse to be in their midst again. Mike, these guys are really great and I am praying that God richly bless them all. Anyway, it was a loose memory card and we have no idea how it got that way. Anyway, I am back up and running and it feels so good. I have missed you all very much.
Grany
Grany,
Praise the Lord! Great to have you back, and at it again :)
Keep fighting the good fight of Faith!
God bless!
Love,
Marge
I will be going to my daughter's home tomorrow morning to help her get things packed for their relocating to Arizona. I probably won't be back until a week from now so I probably won't keep up with all of the conversations. Some precious friends from Missouri are coming to help us get all of the things packed and loaded into the van for the big move. I haven't had an opportunity to visit with the two friends since I lived in Arkansas so, it will be a lot of chatter and laughter. Looking forward to it all. All of the people coming down to help us are born again, Holy Spirit filled, fire baptized friends so it is hard telling what we will end up doing. One thing for sure, we will be going to church this Sunday and it will be the first time in over 35 years, that we have all be together in the same church building.
You all have a great 4th of July and I will catch up with you when I get back.
Grany
Grany,
Enjoy!
God speed.
Love,
Marge
Everyone,
Enjoy a blessed and safe Holiday!
God bless.
Love,
Marge
"Your checks in the mail,
would I lie to you?"
Just waiting for Grany to get back, LOL! Should we rename this blog, the Grany and Marge blog? (smile)
Love to all,
God bless,
Marge
"Ohhhh, I wished I lived in the land of cotton..." (smile)
Have a great week in the Lord!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
"If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning,
I'd hammer in the evening,
over this land..."
Peter, Paul and Mary :)
Don't like Peter, Paul and Mary?
How about this one?
"I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy,..."
Okay. Now THAT leaves a lotta open shots :)
Anyone? Anyone?
"Ezekiel saw the wheel,
way up in the middle of the air,
Ezekiel saw the wheel,
way in the middle of the air.
A wheel within a wheel,
way up in the middle of the air,
a wheel within a wheel,
way in the middle of the air."
Now, what do you suppose a wheel, within a wheel, actually is???
Anyone? Anyone?
God bless,
Love,
Marge
P.S. No stampeding allowed, LOL!
"Swing low, sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home,
swing low, sweet chariot,
coming for to carry me home"
Kinda makes a person wonder just what the chariots of God look like.
Perhaps a wheel, within a wheel?
"To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven."
Ecclesiates 3:1 AND;
"To everything,
turn, turn, turn,
there is a season,
turn, turn, turn,
and a time for for every purpose,
under heaven."
"He's been faithful, faithful to me..."
"There's been times I have doubted,
even failed to believe,
but He's been faithful,
faithful to me."
(Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sings this one. It's great!)
Howdeeeeeyyyy, so good to be here!
My imitation of Minnie Pearl but I don't have a hat to put on for the real impersonation.
I think Marge needs some help on this blog and I don't know where the rest of you are but there is plenty going on in the world that the conversation should be heating up about right now. If you all are not aware of just how fantastic and powerful the Holy Spirit is moving all over this planet then you are not awake or you are out making whoopy! Whoopie making is forbidden fruit so get rid of it and start praying.
I just got back from my daughter and son-in-law's home and we packed, chatted and packed some more. Then some friends from our life in Missouri came to help us in filling boxes and crates. By the time my daughter and I started home today around 2 p.m. everything that has to go in the first load of furniture was ready and waiting. Here is the thing I want to share with you. Out of the ones there packing and chatting, the mother of my daughter's best friend and I were the only ones who are saved and Holy Spirit filled. Now I am not so sure about the Holy Spirit filling of the momma but she will be very shortly (witness from the Holy Spirit). The daughter is a borderline addict to pain medications and alcohol. She is a precious woman but I still want to call her a little girl. I have known Chris since she was 3 years old and the same age as my daughter. My daughter isn't Holy Spirit filled YET! But she will be very shortly also. The whole thing about the moving of the Holy Spirit is simply, we all sat around after dinner and instead of watching TV we talked about what this world is doing and what is ahead.
Our two daughters were very attentive to our discussion and by the end of the week, Chris was really hungry for the fullness of God in her life. She wants to be free of the pain but especially the addictions and so I am asking that you all join me in praying for her release and deliverance from all of it. She lost her daddy about 2 years ago when he fell into a grain bin in Missouri. I requested prayers at Joel's blog for them at that time and they are recovering fairly well. Chris' Momma needs our prayers in that regard as it has been very hard on her to cope without him. He truly was the head of the household and her name is Gerry. I truly do covet your prayers for both of them.
We saw two daughters come closer and closer to the knees of God during the week and I just am praying that it won't end there.
Love you all and so glad to be back home
Grany
Grany,
Great to have you back home! And yes, we need more participation on this blog. And yes, I will agree with you in prayer for all your requests, that you mentioned in your post. God is more than (abundantly) able to do eveything you asked, and much more. Amen!
Looking forward to seeing the praise reports when these prayers are answered, too. Amen again!
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
God bless,
Love,
Marge
P.S.
"...the answer my friend,
is blowing in the wind,
the answer is blowing,
in the wind."
(the Holy Spirit has been compared to the wind. because although you can't see the wind, we see/feel/sense/realize the wind/results of the wind, etc.)
There is a new post..
MARANATHA!!!
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